Water vapor generating system



Feb. 5, 1935. E. H. wlLKlNsoN WATER VAPOR GENERATING SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fi1ed Aug. 26, 1932 Feb. 5, 1935. E. H. WILKINSON WATER VAPOR'GENERATING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 2e, 1952 3 sheets-sheet 5 Patented Feb. 5, 1935 UNITE WATER VAPOR GENERATING SYSTEM 'Ellis H. Wilkinson, Neola, W. Va., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-fourth to Mary E. Schofield and one-fourth to Bessie C. Schofield, both of Philadelphia, Pa., and onehalf to Florence May Wilkinson, N eola, W. Va.`

Application August 26,

10 Claims.

in air or other gaseous medium is first saturated with water and then passed` to a heat chamber where the temperature of the vapor may be raised 'suiciently to convert the vapor into steam. y l

Another object of the invention is to provide a vapor generating apparatus having novel means for saturating air or other gaseous medium with waterv prior to entrance of said vapor into the heat chamber.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vapor generating `system involving the principle set forth which may be used in Aconjunction with the ordinary heat producing fuels as well as electricity.

f lAnother object of the invention lis to provide a vapor generating means as stated which may be 'usedto lower the temperature of saturated vaa vapor heat transfer system as described which does not require constant attention during operjation and will materially re'ducegfuel operating costs as compared with similar operating costs 'where heat is applied directly to theliquid which must be raised as a mass tothe temperature 'tofproduce steam. Other features and details of the invention are s et forth hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. f1 is a View in side elevation of a vapor generating plant embodyingthe principle which is the subject Aof the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a heat chamberffor saturated vapor wherein an electric current is the heat producing medium;

'Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, wherein refrigeratin'g vcoils have been used in place of the resistance heaters for cooling the air for ventilating purposes; and j Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section show- Heretofore inv generating steam or other vapors 1932, serialy No. 630,580

for heating o-r power purposes, it has beenthe general practice to apply the heat directly to the water or other liquid from which the vapor is to be generated, but to my knowledge no vapor generating systemhas been produced wherein a saturated vapor is fed to a heat chamber at relatively low temperature and converted lfrom that state into steam or other vapor at relatively high temperatures. y v *j* f By the present invention vapors at substantial pressures and high thermal-eiciency atV saturated'or superheat temperatures maybe generated at a fuel cost approximating less than' one-third the cost of fuel to generate vapors having'the same thermal qualities infaccordance with the principles of vapor generation in use up to the present time... y L

Referring now more particularly to the drawings', the present apparatus comprises an ordi,- nary fire tube boiler 1 and superheat chamber 2, arranged within an insulated boiler casing ,4, which is provided with conveniently arranged baffles 4a directing the flow of the hot-combus tion fumes longitudinally throughjthe fire tubes of the boiler 1. The combustion fumes "pass forwardly through the boiler ,1, ,rearwardly between the said boiler and superheat chamber 2 and forwardly through the re tubes of thelatter, whence they pass rearwardly andare eliminated through the stack 3. Passage from vthe boiler 1 to the superheat chamber 2 is afforded by a connecting pipe Y5 and discharge of the heated vapori-.jor steam from the superheat chamber '2 to a `heat consumer occurs through a discharge pipe 6. A fire bed 7' and grate '7a are'located directly beneath the boiler, 1 and the customary ash pit 8 lies directly beneath the fire bed. The shell of the boiler l is protected from .direct contact with the heat lfrom the fire bed '7 by a horizontal partition composed ,of re brickvv 01' other 4suitable refractory material, vbut it yshould be noted, however, that a protective heat conducting shell may be used instead of/thelhlrtition` when it is. desirable to avail the boiler of the direct heat from the fire. i i

The structuredescribedin the preceding paragraph may be found in ,anyv of the' numerous boiler installations inexistence at ,the present time and is admittedly old. I-Iowever,y suchrboiler installations have been `used to heat solid vwater directly in theboiler as contrasted with-the particular feature'of the present invention whereinwater vapor (saturated air) is supplied to the boiler in place of thev solid water and summarily heated Vand converted into steam. Y

The saturation of the air or other gaseous medium is accomplished in a novel manner within a vaporizing tank or chest 9 which is positioned below and insulated from the heat of the boiler. The tank 9 is substantially filled with water to a predetermined level and maintained constantly at the desired level by any well-known means such asby a iioat operated valve (not shown). The air or other gaseous medium is compressed by means of a compressor 10 driven by a motor 11, and the compressed air passes through a pipe 12 to a horizontal pipe 13 ladjacent the bottom of the tank 9, and has a plurality of apertures therein so that the air may be discharged in small streams or jets upwardly through the body of water. .To insure proper saturation of the air a pair of sprays or nozzles 14 are connected to the .pipe r13 so that a sub'- stantial portion of the air entering the tank 9 may be discharged through the sprays 1'4, the remainingl quantity-of lair being discharged up through the water `from the apertures in the laterally` extending pipe 13; It should be noted that the maximum water level height within the tank 9 is maintained at least below the level of the sprays 14 by means of a float operated valve as previously noted. A tubular collar or sleeve 15 embraces each of the sprays 14 and directs the discharge of air therefrom into the ducts 16A connectedvbetween the tank 9 and the boiler 1. A pipe 1'7z extends downwardly from each ,spray 14 into Ithe water to within a short distance of the bottom of the tank `9, and the Ydischarge of air from said sprays 14 createsv a ,suctionY force which draws water upwardly through the pipes 17, whereit is suiiiciently atomized and mixed with the air to completely saturate the latter. Similarly the air passing upwardly through the water from the pipe 13 becomes saturated to a substantially high water contentand forrnsa vapor within the tank 9 above the surface of the water.

In the present instance the spray sleeves 15 extendna small .distanoe within the connecting duets 16, and for the purpose of aifordin'grelatively rapid passage of the saturated vapor from the tank 9 to the boiler 1, a Venturi section is .fornied on the inner surface of the ducts 16 opposite the upper edges of the sleeves|`15 wherebythe discharging vapor from the sleeves acts to draw the saturate'dvvapr from the tank 9, the passage of which is materially increased by the Venturi section.

The saturated vapor drawn from the tank proper: and the saturated vapor discharged through the sleeves 15 mixes together while passing upwardly through the duct 16 and is discharged as a homogeneous body into the boiler yLit/hence it is heated by contact with the fire tubes thereof and raised to a substantially high temperature and converted into steam in a saturated state. The saturated steam discharges through the pipe to the superhea't chamber 2, where it is raised to a substantial degree of superheat and high thermal eiiiciencmaiter which it exhausts upwardly through the duct 6, where it is conveyed tok any heatl consumer that may be Ausedwin conjunction with the particular boilerinstallation. p

AIn the present instance the disclosure in Fig. 1 :of the drawings is available for use in conjunction with the majority of fuel substances such as coal, coke, wood, oil orthe like. However, in

Vcertain localities and regions electric energy has become sufIiciently abundant as to render it available for heating and other power purposes at a cost substantially lower than other fuels, and a boiler embodying the present system of water vapor generation for use with electricity as a heating means is disclosed in Fig. 2 of the drawings, wherein the completely saturatedair or other gaseous medium is provi-ded, as the previous instance, and discharged into a boiler 18 in which are disposed a plurality of resistance coils 19 mounted upon reflector or baie elements 20, spaced by suitablemeans of insulation from the metal walls of the boiler to permit the passage of the vapor freely through said boiler. The resistances in the present instance are disposed in vopposed paired relation as shown in Fig. 2 and the water vapor discharged into the boiler 18 is converted intosatu'rated steam and summarily into the superheat chamber 21, which if desired may be similarly equipped with heating resistances in the manner shown for the boiler 18.

A particular feature of the present modification of the invention is kthe fact that itis possible to position the resistance heating elements Within the boiler 18, and this ismade possible only as a result of the gaseous rather thanvsolid state `of the saturated vapor inthe boilervi, and would not be possible were solid water;usedin the boiler for heating.

A further modification of the principle herein described vmay be had inthe. form of a cooling.

system for air or othergaseous media.' Ihe only change required by the substitutionfor the source of heat such as the electrical elements 19, `AVare a number of cooling eoils 22 as vdisclosed in Fig. 3- ofthe drawings. I A* Y The particular embodiments yci theinvention herein disclosed are capable of numerous changes andadaptations and vit Yis not intended thatjthle invention be limited to the disclosureif within thescope of the annexed claims.

is claimedis l W l 1. In a water vapor temperature control apparatus, a heat exchange chamber, a water chest, means adjacent the bottom of said chestfand operable in conjunction therewith Afor. discliaiging air through the body of water therein (under 'pressure wherebysaidair is saturatedy with moisture, and a Venturi section connectingthe water chest and-the Chamber'. effecting relativer Farid discharge of the saturatedvapor from saidchest tosaid heat exchange chambert n o ,A l

2. In a water vapor temperature control tappa(- ratus, a boilerp'a water chest, mean's'operble Ain conjunction with said water chest for discharging air through the'body of 'water therein under presu-r whereby sa@ Sawadee tureand e. Ventu sectlonpcmneng the wat?? chest and the boiler veiiecting relatively rapid discharge of the saturated vapor from said chestto the boiler. u 3. In a wate'rlvapor temperature control apparatus, a heat exchange chamber, a watermeans operable in conjunction with said ywater chest Vfordischarging air through Ythe of water therein under pressure whereby air is saturated with4 moisture, a duct the water chest and the chamber permitting passage ofV the saturated vapor from said chest to said heat exchange chamber, and meansl forucontrolling the temperature of the saturated vapor in the heat exchange unit. o l o y A 4. In a water vapor temperature control appa- Vratusa boiler, a water chest, means operable in conjunction with said water chest for discharging air through the` body of water therein under pressure whereby said air is saturated with moisture, a duct connecting the water chest and the boiler permitting discharge of the saturated vapor from said chest to the boiler, and means adjacent the boiler and insulated from the water chest for controlling Jthe temperature of the saturated vapor therein.

5. In a water vapor temperature control apparatus, a boiler, a water chest, means operable in conjunction with said water chest for discharging air through the body of water therein under pressure whereby said air is saturated with moisture, a Venturi section connecting the water chest and the boiler eecting relatively rapid discharge of the saturated vapor from said chest to the boiler, and a source of heat adjacent the boiler and insulated from the water chest for increasing the temperature of the saturated vapor in said boiler.

6. In a heat exchange system for water vapor, a heat exchange chamber, a water chest, means extending parallel to the bottom of said chest and connected to an air compressor for discharging a number of small jets of air through the body of water in the chest, spray means residing above the water level within the chest and connected to the rst-named means for discharging at least a portion of the air therefrom which enters said chest, a Siphon extending from the spray downwardly into the water and whereby water is drawn into the stream of air discharging from the spray and mixed therewith, and a Venturi section surrounding the discharge end of the spray in spaced relation with respect thereto whereby the saturated vapor in the chest proper is drawn therefrom and discharged at a relatively rapid rate for mixture with the saturated air discharging from the spray, passing into the heat exchange chamber.

'7. In a heat exchange system for water vapor, a heat exchange chamber, a water chest, a pipe having a plurality of apertures therein and connected to an air supply pipe and connected to an air compressor for discharging a number of small jets of air through the bodyof water in the chest, spray means residing above the water level within the chest and connected to the firstnamed means for discharging at least a portion of the air therefrom which enters said chest, a siphon extending from the spray downwardly into the water and whereby water is drawn into the stream of air discharging from the spray and mixed therewith, and a Venturi section surrounding the discharge end of the spray in spaced relation with respect thereto whereby the saturated vapor in-the chest proper is drawn therefrom and discharged at a relatively rapid rate for mixture with the saturated air discharging from the spray, passing into the heat exchange chamber.

8. In a water vapor temperature control apparatus, a heat exchange chamber, a water chest, means operable, in conjunction with said water chest for discharging air through the body of water therein under pressure whereby said air is saturated with moisture, and a connection between the water chest and the heat exchange chamber permitting passage of the saturated vapor from said chest into said chamber.

9. In a water Vapor temperature control apparatus, a heat exchange chamber, a water chest, means adjacent the bottom of said chest for discharging a plurality of small jets of air through the body of water in the chest whereby said air is saturated with moisture, and a connection between the water chest and the heat exchange chamber permitting passage of the saturated vapor from said chest into said-chamber.

10. In a water vapor temperature control apparatus, a heat exchange chamber, a water chest, means operable in conjunction with said water `chest for discharging air through the body of water in the chest whereby said air is saturated with moisture, a duct connecting the water chest and the heat exchange chamber, and means also Y in said chest constructed and arranged to discharge saturated vapor into said duct whereby the saturated vapor in the chest proper is drawn into combination therewith and discharged into the heat exchange chamber.

ELLIS H. WILKINSON. 

